South Coast Plaza’s first-ever luxury boutique tenant, Courrèges, originally opened at the shopping center in 1975, marking the Segerstrom family’s first step in transitioning SCP into the higher end of retail.
At the time, it was the international designer’s second store in the U.S. Yves Saint Laurent opened shortly after, which set off a mass arrival of luxury boutiques at SCP and a queue of both up-and-coming and renown brands looking to have a spot in what is currently Orange County’s top shopping center.
The French fashion house, which closed its store in 1982, returned in July to establish this store as its West Coast flagship.
“Opening a store at South Coast Plaza is an important moment for any luxury brand with global ambitions,” Courrèges Chief Executive Adrien Da Maia said in a statement.
The 1,200-square-foot space is located on the second level of the center right next to Din Tai Fung. The new boutique was designed by Belgian architect Bernard Dubois.
“For Courrèges, almost 50 years after first introducing the brand to Costa Mesa, reconnecting with this thriving local community thanks to this stunning new boutique feels particularly special and exciting,” Maia added.
Turning to Luxury
“The vision of a luxury center began as early as 1975, when ownership brought a Courrèges boutique,” South Coast Plaza Executive Director Debra Gunn Downing told the Business Journal. “It has been an ongoing evolution since that time.”
“We have had a significant re-merchandizing in recent years, with 25 or more new boutiques opening per year, and many West Coast exclusives,” Downing said when asked about the recent surge of luxury tenants taking over the center.
South Coast hit $2 billion in annual sales for the first time in 2021; last year, the center reported taxable sales of $2.5 billion for the 12 months ended June 2023.
As for the balance of keeping both well-established and emerging brands at the center, Downing pointed to accommodating existing tenants who want to expand when there’s space available as well as paying attention to what is currently “attractive to young, fashionable and affluent clients.”
“South Coast Plaza always strives to be on the forefront of fashion, dining and design. Our boutiques, brands and restaurants reflect that,” she said.
The shopping center, with 2.8 million gross square feet of leasable space, is near 100% occupancy, according to Downing, save the vacant Sears space.
“There are always more brands that want to be at South Coast Plaza than we have space, as well as existing tenants who want to expand or change their locations,” she said.
Bvlgari, Cartier, and Gucci are the latest brands to switch up their storefronts at the center this past year. Gucci notably debuted a new 17,500-square-foot space spanning two floors joining Balenciaga as the plaza’s first two-story boutiques.
“It is a Rubik’s Cube-like challenge. Still, it’s a wonderful challenge to have because it speaks to the success story that is South Coast Plaza,” Downing added.
